The Amazingly Adorable Nero
by Cat330
Summary: When Lady finds a kitten wandering around in an alleyway, she takes it to Dante, only to dump the responsibility onto him. What Dante and Lady don't know, though, is that the kitten is actually Nero, due to a strange jinx placed onto him by a demon that was angered when Nero slaughtered its "pet". Will Nero ever be human again? ((Reviews make me happy and less depressed 3))
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This fic is inspired by one of my new online buddies, bitbyboth. Her story "Tick Tock" was one of the first Dante x Nero fics I ever read! Kudos to you, buddy~! *throws confetti*

Nero patrolled the cold, empty streets of Fortuna. Ever since the Savior incident, a new government system (and curfew) was placed into effect. It supposedly would "help to ensure that further civilian lives would not be lost."

He could care less, though, since the townspeople had gone back to avoiding him. That just comes to show how some things never change.

As he realized this, it clicked in his brain why his relationship with Kyrie didn't work. It had gone from passionate to platonic and sibling-like. Brooding once more about Kyrie, a sudden whiff of demon stink snapped him out of his thoughts. Sprinting off, he started to track the scent. A few blocks away, there was a single stray Mephisto.

"Piece of cake~!" he sneered.

Whipping Blue Rose out of its holster, he began to shoot away at the black cloak on the demon. It fell to the ground, an ugly red bug-like demon. He holstered his gun, and pulled out his beloved sword, Red Queen.

Nero revved the motor until flames ran alongside the blade, and swung fatal slashes at the demon. It shrieked, and eventually fell onto the ground as charred demon remains. Instead of blood red orbs being left behind, a strange, glowing white orb appeared. He unwittingly reached out with his right demonic arm to absorb it into the Bringer.

As soon as the orb fused with his arm, he felt a sharp, tingling sensation travel from his arm to the rest of his body. The world around him looked like it was growing larger; but it was actually him shrinking.

"What the-meow~" he mewled. He looked down to the ground, and instead of human hands, he saw white kitten paws. He felt his new-found tail flicker to the side a bit.

_Well fuck me! I'm a Goddamned kitten!_

* * *

Lady wiped the sweat off her brow as the last scarecrow demon exploded, thanks to Katalina Anne, her bazooka. She walked up to the family that was offering the reward, and counted the money that the husband handed her.

"Fifty dollars for fifteen exterminated demons? That's not the price we agreed on," she huffed.

The man sighed, and pulled out one hundred dollars worth of twenty dollar bills. She smirked, thanked him, and hopped onto her motorcycle. She made sure to stop by Pizza One to pick up a pizza to use as a bargaining tool for Dante to get his own lazy ass up and do his own damn missions. As she walked up towards the door to the pizza parlor, a tiny mewl in the small alleyway next door caught her attention.

A tiny kitten softy wobbled out from the dark, showing its dirty white fur. It had enormous blue eyes, but the eyelids over them were drooping. She placed the pistol holstered around her waist onto the bike's holster. Kneeling down, she held out her hands, whispering gently.

"Come here, kitty."

The kitten cautiously walked over towards her outstretched hands, placing a tiny paw onto her palm. It then completely laid into her hands, curling up into a tiny ball of fur. Lady saw that instead of a collar, a red ribbon with a thin blue stripe was tied up in a bow. Totally forgetting about Dante's pizza, she placed the kitten inside the leather holster around her waist and snapped the buckle over the top of it. She then climbed onto her motorcycle once more, and sped off towards Devil May Cry.

Dante sat behind his desk, rereading the same Buxxom magazine for the sixth time in a row. Ever since he met that half-demon kid, Nero, from his mission to Fortuna, he hadn't really liked the ladies as much anymore. As his thoughts drifted back to Nero, a motorcycle engine cutting off outside warned him of the imminent danger heading his way. "Lady," he grumbled, putting away the dirty magazine.

Instead of kicking the door down like she normally would, she gently pushed the door open and stepped inside. She had something small and furry in her hands. He raised an eyebrow. What the hell was she holding?

"Lady, what is in your hands? Something else to torture me with?" he questioned, wary of her reply.

"Kind of," she giggled, smiling. Dante's eyes widened. _Oh sh-_

"Look what I found abandoned in an alleyway~" she grinned, standing in front of his desk and holding out her hands.

A dirty white kitten stuck its head out and yawned, showing off its tiny pink tongue. When it reopened its eyes, their startling blueness captivated him. They seemed so familiar, so human…

"Still thinking about Nero?" She asked sympathetically. Dante could've sworn that he saw the kitten's eyes widen.

"…Is it that obvious?"

Lady sighed. "Well duh! You sit behind your desk all damn day and brood." Dante began to protest, but Lady cut him off. "Maybe this will take your mind off things," and she handed him the kitten.

He looked at her, in a state of disbelief. He could barely take care of himself, let alone a kitten. "Lady, are you sure I'm the best candidate for caretaker?"

"…Just don't kill it," she smirked, walking out the doors and back to her motorcycle. Dante sighed as he heard the engine start, and gradually grow fainter as she drove away. He held the kitten in front of his face.

"Hmm… What can I name you? Pizza? …No… Milkshake? No… Strawberry? NO…" he thought aloud. Suddenly, the perfect name popped into his head.

"I'll name you _**Nero**_," he cooed.


	2. Chapter 2

"Niltiac, don't you think it's a little harsh to turn the poor boy into a kitten? Just because he killed your pet?" said demon's mate, Acissej, questioned.

Niltiac glared at her mate. "Onaizenev was NOT just my pet. I had that Mephisto longer than me and you have been mates."

Acissej sighed, "Well, I guess you're right. He was a good demon. Obedient as well."

The brunette demon wailed. "And that PUNK-ASS KID killed him! And since I don't have a pet anymore," her voice dropped down to a sultry purr, "YOU will be my pet~" She then pulled out a black lace choker necklace from behind her back.

The short blond-haired demon felt her mouth go dry. _Oh my… My seme's stepping things up~ But I wonder what she would say if I told her that I helped the kitten find shelter… Crap…_

* * *

As Dante grinned satisfied that he finally came up with a good name, he realized how dirty the poor thing was.

"Oh, I should probably give you a bath, huh?" he mumbled to himself. He held little Nero to his broad chest as he walked down the hallway towards the bathroom.

Grabbing a bottle of strawberry-scented shampoo, he filled the sink with lukewarm water. When he placed the kitten into the water, he was delightfully surprised that it wasn't fighting and trying to gauge his eyes out. Dante smiled, and poured a small amount of shampoo into his palm. He then gently massaged the soap onto Nero, until all the dirt had come out of its fur. He rinsed the kitten off, and dried him with a nearby red hand towel.

As he unveiled the now-clean kitten, he laughed at the random tufts of hair sticking up at odd angles. Dante picked him up, and held him to his chest again as he headed over to the phone sitting on his desk. Managing to hold the kitten with his left hand, he dialed Lady's phone number, and waited for her to answer. While he was waiting, he scratched the area behind Nero's right ear with his index finger. It purred, and nuzzled his tiny head into Dante's hand.

"What?" an impatient voice answered on the other end of the phone.

"UH, Lady, could you possibly go pick up some stuff for Ner-the kitten?" he corrected himself. "You can add the total price to my debt, but show me the receipt first," he added, watching the ball of fluff in his hand the whole time, as it playfully nipped at his finger.

Lady sighed, but agreed.

"Thanks Lady. I really owe you one," he grinned.

Lady huffed. "Yeah, you do," and hung up the phone in order to get her point across. Dante tossed the phone back onto the receiver, and sat back down on the chair behind his desk. He smiled as he listened to little Nero's purrs of joy.

* * *

Nero was blushing internally at how such a small gesture of kindness was turning him into a mewling wreck. That Lady-woman asked Dante if he "was still thinking about Nero." What the hell was _that _supposed to mean? Then he realized his current predicament. If he turned back into a human, he would surely die from embarrassment, due to the fact that the elder slayer was holding him. Did he like Dante as a friend, or something more? Normally, friends do not have _weird _thoughts and dreams about friends. And, admittedly, Nero did have some pretty… _interesting_… thoughts about the red-clad hunter. As soon as he realized his feelings for the other, his exhaustion from walking(although it felt more like he was guided by an unknown force) from Fortuna to… where ever he was now, began to seep into him, and combined with Dante's warmth, was a lulling combo.

Before he completely fell asleep, he admitted something to himself. _I guess I DO like Dante… But do I love him?_

The door opened with an extremely loud "bang." Startled, Nero drove his tiny-but-extemely sharp claws into Dante's chest. Lady walked up to his desk, four grocery bags in hand.

"This better be a one-time-only thing. You got it?" she snarled, placing them down. She looked at Nero. "Can I hold him?" she asked, gesturing to Nero.

"I guess so..." Dante mumbled, and handed him to her. She held the kitten up to her face, and connected her nose to the kitten's.

"What did you name him?"

"... Nero..." he said, and stared with envy as she cuddled HIS Nero. _Uh, did I... just... oh..._

Lady giggled. "I know you like Nero, but I had no idea you would NAME something after him!" Dante merely huffed in annoyance. As if to piss him off further, Lady smirked, and continued. "... I also didn't know you got off thinking about him. I overheard you the other day... 'Oh Nero~ Unh, you're so tight~"

Dante felt his face glow almost as red as his trench coat, and his hands clench up into fists. The only thing that kept him from attacking was that Lady had Nero in her hands. The kitten looked over at him, as if it felt sympathy for him.

* * *

Nero began to grow angry at Lady, and embarrassed at Dante. Why was she mocking him about that? It wasn't even any of her damn business in the first place. He could feel a dull, throbbing pain in his right paw, and the claws on that paw began to elongate. With a hiss, he swatted her cheek, breaking skin and causing her to bleed.

"Oww!" she yelped, and let go of Nero. Dante 's eyes widened.

"No!" he jumped over the desk, and caught Nero as he was about to hit the ground. As he stood up and held the kitten protectively, he shot Lady a frightening glare. "Get the hell out of here, Lady."

She held her hands in front of her in a surrendering motion. "OK, OK, no need to get so defensive. I-I'll just be on my way." With a nervous wave, she walked out the doors again. After she left for the second time, Nero nuzzled his body into Dante's. A light blush dusted across his cheeks, and he walked upstairs to get ready for bed, taking Nero along with him.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: After a VERY long wait, I'm back! I'm so sorry I kept you waiting, though. I was going through personal crap… So now, I give you the second chapter to The Amazingly Adorable Nero~**_

_Nero wandered aimlessly into the abyss that was his dream realm. He looked down at his body and saw that he appeared to be human again. He began to grin from ear to ear, but that smile slowly faded as he felt a presence watching him._

"_Who's there?" he shouted, waiting to hear a response._

"_Nero~ Do you know what you look like right now? So freaking adorable!" a borderline happily-psychotic female voice chirped, and a mirror sprung out of the space in front of him. As he peered into the mirror, he gasped when he saw that he still had cat ears and a tail._

"_So you're the one who did this to me?" he called out again, scanning the area for any trace of the woman. A giddy laugh rang out._

"_Maybe… Maybe not… The only question is what you plan on doing about fixing your situation."_

"_Show yourself, you coward!" A brief pause followed._

"_I can assure you that I am no coward, mi amigo." From seemingly no where, a young woman appeared. She was wearing an exact copy of Dante's clothing, right down to the elder slayer's coat. Her large emerald green eyes stood out from against her honey toned skin. Her long brown hair framed her face in layered ringlets. She appeared to be human, but Nero knew otherwise._

"_Are you a figment of my imagination?" he asked, growing confused as to why this woman, whom he had never met in his life, was in his dream. She just stared at him, a cocky smirk plastered onto her face._

"_Hmm… I love this outfit…" She twirled for a dramatic effect, the trench coat fanning out behind her._

_Nero scratched at the side of his nose. What the hell was this chick's deal?!_

"_So, you're a demon? Killing you, I assume, would make me normal again… But you have my weapons, don't you?" _

_She held out her right hand, spreading her palm and fingers out. Blue Rose and Red Queen appeared above her hand, floating in midair._

"_Actually, killing me would worsen your predicament. You would stay a kitten for the rest of your life. Assuming that isn't what you want, you should definitely keep me alive~" Nero watched warily as the woman walked closer towards him._

"_I don't exactly make deals with demons. And why the hell would you do this to me in the first place?"_

"_Because you slaughtered my pet Mephisto, Onaizenev!"_

"_You sound exactly like a whiny child," Nero smirked._

_Her eyes narrowed. "That makes two of us ¿sí? Well, anyways, let me be blunt. Every single demon out there would just LOVE to have a chance to kill Dante, the Son of Sparda, to seal their rep. But, unlike those demons, well… we don't want a reputation, since if my mate and I were to actually kill him, then those exact same demons would try to kill us, and then on and there forth, the chain goes on." _

"_Right, and I assume you don't plan on killing me either?" Nero asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. She waved her hand around in front of her face, as if to emphasize her point._

"_If you keep on being rude about it, I won't tell you exactly why I turned you into- OH FUCK!" she screeched, as a black slip-on shoe was thrown at her head. Nero blinked as a shorter blond female stormed out of no where, and began to yell at the brunette._

"_For the love of God, Niltiac! Tell him why! Or else you won't be getting any for a month!"_

"_Jeez, Acissej, must you be so cruel to me? After all the things I do for you? Well, I GUESS I should tell him, huh?" the demon Niltiac said. She paused as if in deep thought. "I placed a jinx on you, and it turned you into a kitten, for my own amusement as well as for a bit of punishment. And, I see that you don't mind, since you're in the care of your newfound crush~"_

_Nero felt his face heat up. "S-Shut up! I don't have a crush on Dante!"_

_The two demons turned their heads to glance at each other, and then they both busted out laughing. Acissej's long-sleeved long-lengthened dress turned into Nero's clothing, and she then gave an imitation of an overly-acted lusty gaze to Niltiac. The "Dante" grabbed her mate, and began to make out with an air of mockery._

"_Oh Dante~" Acissej moaned, a mischievousgrin plastered on her face._

_Niltiac bit "Nero's" bottom lip, and growled half-possessively. "Nero."_

_The real Nero felt his face heat up again. "You guys are unbelievable! Stop that!"_

"_You're no fun~! Cheer up! If you put up with being a feline for a whole year, we'll change you back."_

_Nero's eyes widened. He'd have to stay like this for a whole year?! Acissej must've sensed Nero's distress, because she quickly added on to what her mate had said._

"_Or until she gets bored of you being her play-thing." Niltiac playfully glared at her in response._

"_Don't make me punish you, mi corazón~" she purred, eyes half-lidded and laced with lust._

_Nero sighed. Well, he was screwed either way, but at least he had Dante… he stopped himself. _Damn, I still can't believe I have a "crush" on him… I'm so Goddamn weird… _he thought, rubbing his face in irritation. Niltiac was amused at seeing him so flustered, while Acissej was trying to resist the urge to turn the poor half-demon back into his normal form._

"_You know what, I think I'm just gonna wake up now…" he mumbled into his hands. The brunette giggled with amusement._

"_Actually, **I** get to choose when you wake up… However, my influence over your dreams will end when you turn back into a human, so, I guess I can only enjoy it while it lasts, I guess…"_

_Nero wanted to strangle something. What the hell kind of demon is this chick?_

"_Niltiac, you know dream time is longer than real time… you should let him wake up, or at least have normal dreams, instead of your spam."_

"_Fine. Adios for now, Nero… Good luck~" Niltiac waved, wrapping her free arm around Acissej's shoulder._

* * *

Nero popped his head out from where he had curled himself into a tiny ball. Was that dream meaningful?

Or just something his mind had cooked up to try and explain why he was like this. And, if it was indeed real, could those two demons even be trusted? Of course not, they're DEMONS, for fuck's sake! Why would anyone trust a demon says? But as he reassured himself of that thought, he felt himself fall back asleep. I hope I have a NORMAL dream…


End file.
